Make It Work
by Kristen Hiwatari
Summary: OCC in Neji. NejixHinata. But to marry him? To marry my cousin, brother, my best friend? I could never do that to him. forced into marriage can Neji and Hinata make it work? All in Hinata's POV


Authors Note: Wellllll...I'm writing again...YAY ME!! Lol...i have many many things I'm working on. and for those that read Of Canvas and Corkscrews....the next chapter will be up shortly, it is nearly finished.  
Anyway...this is a NejixHinata fic that is going to be about 2-4 chapters long....really depends on how long each chapter is. If you don't like NejixHinata, then the simple thing is not to read it.

Summary: OCC in Neji. NejixHinata. But to marry him? To marry my cousin, brother, my best friend?!? I could never do that to him. forced into marriage can Neji and Hinata make it work? All in Hinata's POV

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto....but if i did.....The 4th wouldn't be dead and neither would Kakashi(still unsure if he is dead or not, but it isn't looking good) and Itachi would not be bad (or dead. Man all the hot ones are either dead, bad, angery or perverts(Kakashi))

Pairing: NejixHinata....Implies NarutoxSasuke (Cause I can't stay away from Yaoi)

" " Speaking

On forth to the story!!

* * *

It was like a slap to the face. No not a slap to the face, more like a punch in the gut or maybe this is what a male feels like when he is kicked in the balls. Well whatever it was, it wasn't pleasant at all. My heart started racing and it felt like I wasn't breathing. Oh wait a minute, I wasn't. I let out the breath I had been holding in, quietly, so that no one would sense my shock. Though I'm sure the man sitting to the left of me felt me tense when my father told us the news.

Neji and I are to be married. Married for we are a good match, or so that is what they tell us. But I have a feeling it's because they are sick of looking after the 'young, weak, pathetic Heir of the Hyuuga Clan', and also it is away to get Nejis' amazing talents into the Main house of the Hyuuga Clan. Killing two birds with one stone. Dump me on Neji and get his awesome abilities. Yup I can tell this is the work of those power hungry Elders. Fools, they can never tie Neji down. And I won't be the pawn they use to do so.

I'm not the shy, weakling that they once knew. I've grown up over the years, my stutter gone, except when my nerves are working over time, I am stronger, thanks to Neji, and I have confidence in myself. The only thing is, my family doesn't know of these things. They compare me to my sister and all the things she can do and they compare me to my cousin, because of this, I am still the useless heir.

Only my friends, Neji and Hanabi seem to see the real me and they all know that I am not who I was 4 years ago during the chuunin exams. No they are the ones that have helped me to better myself. Hanabi has been a wonderful, supportive sister, telling me that I can make a difference in the clan when I become leader. Neji has helped me physically, training me: every day. He too has changed to over the years and I consider him one of my closest friends. He's no longer the revenge seeking youth from the old days, though he never has quite forgiven the clan for what happened to his father, he respects the clan and now respects me, only being mean and cruel when he is frustrated or when he is trying to motivate me to do better in my training.

But to marry him? To marry my cousin, brother, my best friend?!? I could never do that to him. I don't care if it's for the sake of the clan, I couldn't bring myself to cage Neji to the main household like that. Damn those Elders, damn them to the pits of hell. They have no right to do this to us, no right at all.

"Hinata" My father's voice breaks through my thoughts and my eyes snap up to his. I'm not angry at him, no, never angry at my father, just the Elders who pushed this on him. My white eyes, which were in a glare, soften when I see the apologies in his eyes.

"Hai Otou-sama?" I ask shifting the weight of my body slightly, my eyes leaving his and glancing around the room to the Elders that are seated around my father, smirking as they await the outcome of this, which they already know. Since there is nothing we can do about it. I glare at every one of them in turn, letting them know of my distaste for what they have now done, before dropping them to the floor in front of me.

"You are to be married in one month. In that one month you are to live together, to grow used to each other, to learn how to become husband and wife." He pauses, this was not his plan, "and, you are not going on missions for that month. Understood?" out of the corner of my eye I can see Neji silently shaking in anger, this is going to be a bad night.

"Hai Hiashi-sama" the words leave his mouth, cold and uncaring, I can sense the anger laced in them. He does not want this, nor do I. He is in love with Tenten and I...well I gave up on Naruto a few years back. This was a good thing because he's gay, not that I hold it against him or anything. But Neji...poor Neji.

"Hai Otou-sama" I couldn't help say in a quiet voice. By agreeing to these terms, we had just sealed our lives away, much to our distaste. But I know if we had of kicked up a fuss or tried to argue, I would have been punished and Neji's cursed seal would have been activated, which I know from watching it happen, isn't a pleasant thing. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone, especially to Neji.

"Right. Servants have already moved your things into an apartment. They are waiting outside to take you to your new home." One of the Elders spoke up from the right of Hiashi, a smug grin on his face. I really wish I could hit him with all my might...

"Hai" I mumble bowing to the Elders and my father as a sign of respect, which the Elders do not deserve. I feel Neji bowing beside me and inwardly sigh. At least when we are married, they will have to bow to him. We both stood up in unison, not looking at anyone as we turned and walked to the door. Neji got there first and slide it open, allowing me to step out, before following behind. He reached behind him and slid the door closed, not once looking back at the men in the room.

The servants looked at us and bowed deeply. I just sighed and motioned them to show us the way to our new...home. Neji walked behind me the whole way, and I'm sure that he would have been glaring at everything that he could. Myself...well I was avoiding everyone's eyes as we passed them and when they congratulated us on our engagement. Ugh it sounds bad coming from the mouths of the Main branch members.

When we get to the apartment the servants hand over the keys and tell us that if we need help with anything, call them and they will come. Under his breath I hear Neji mutter "You wish" and I have to hold in a chuckle. He can still make me laugh, so that is a sign that he anger will be taken out on Lee and not me. Neji unlocks the door and again lets me through first, ever the gentleman, and closes the door behind him. From what i can see it's fairly small. A small entrance way with a shoe rack and a wardrobe form coats to the right. then a hallway that turns a right about 200 meters up, about half way down on both sides are doorways leading to a kitchen and dining room and a living room. that is how these apartments are constructed. I am pretty sure that there would be a study, bathroom and one bedroom around the corner. Yippee.

I push my shoes off and move them to the side and step onto the hallway of my new home. With a shy I move forward to see what we have and what we don't have. Behind me I hear Neji remove his shoes.

"The study is round the corner" I say to him in a quite voice, not sure what his thought processes are at the moment. I move to the left and find mydelf in a conjoint dining room and ktichen just like I had predicted. I him move past me and around the corner. I again sighed, I had done that a lot today, and sat at the four person dining room table which was placed at the center of the room. It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

When I said it would be a long night, I meant it. It's currently the beginnings of dawn, the sky is lighting up ever so slightly and the birds are beginning to wake up. I have yet to get to sleep and I know that the man in the living room hasn't either. We haven't spoken to each other since i told him where the study was, and that was where he was for the rest of the night, until he came out to eat the food I had prepared for us. While he was in the study, probably bent over scrolls, I was going around the rooms, unpacking everything and placing them around. When I reached the bedroom I had to draw a breath. In the middle of the room was a queen sized bed that me and Neji were meant to be sleeping in. Sighing I had moved around the room, opening draws and peering into the wardrobe. The Elder hadn't been wrong, every item of ours was now in this house, even all of my brushes and assorted toiletries.

But when it came time to sleep, I had the first shower and by the time I got out, he had grabbed his pillow and the spare blankets and set up in the living room. I'm slightly thankful for that. Nodding to him as we passed each other in the hall, he was heading toward the shower, had been the last I saw of him that night. And now...after laying here for god knows how long with random thoughts running around my head, I wonder what the hell we are going to do now. One month to grow accustomed to living together, to get used to each other as a married couple might, uhhh I hate the Elders. One freaking month of no missions...but. I sit up and smile slightly, they never said that we couldn't train and hangout with our friends.

With this thought in my mind, my tiredness disappears from my mind. I push the covers away from my body and get out of the bed. I walk to the wardrobe and find a dressing gown hanging in it so I put it on and walk out towards the kitchen. I know that Neji would be up, so I decide to make us both a good hearty breakfast. We'll need it for the lack of sleep we would have had. I walk into the kitchen and see him at the table, cup of tea sitting in front of him, steaming away, his eyes glaring at it like it was one of the elders. He looks up as he hears me enter, glare disappearing.

"Hinata-sama, did you not get any sleep last night?" He asks. I flinch at the honorific that he added to my name, I had stopped calling him nii-san a year ago and had been trying to get him to stop with the sama. I sigh and pour myself a cup of tea, going to sit opposite him at the table. I knew he would be able to see my tiredness, and that is why I didn't try to hide it.

"I got as much as you did Neji-san" I reply, lifting the cup to my lips and taking a small sip. He gives me a look of understanding, knowing this couldn't be easy on me.

"Yes...thoughts plagued my mind last night, and I was unable to remove them" He said also taking a sip.

"Neji-san, we need to talk about this....whole situation" I say motioning my arms in a wide arch, meaning us and the marriage. He gently places the cup down.

"I know Hinata-sama" he's making me make the the first move. I take a deep breath.

"I hate this, I hate that they are trying to tie you to the Main house through this marriage, trying to get your power to come down into the Main house through this. I'm pissed off that they are using me as their tool to cage you even more. I don't want to cage you, you've been through enough as it is because of me. I'm sick of being seen as a weak heir, I'm tired of those old goons controlling my father. I hate it how we are not allowed on missions. The only flipside is that they didn't say we could not hang out and train with everyone!" By the time I've finished saying all of this I'm standing up with my palms flat on the table with Neji just looking at me. I don't usually let my anger go so much and I'm sure that Neji hasn't seen me this pissed off before. I lift my hands from the table and sit down again, staring at Neji, my chest heaving slightly. I'm quietly surprised that our cups of tea haven't...oh. I look down and see that they have indeed been knocked over, liquid all over the table and dripping on the ground.

"Gomen" I say timidly, standing up, heading to the kitchen to get towels to clean it up. I am stopped by a hand that grabs my wrist. I turn my head around and see that Neji is right behind me.

"I hate this too, I hate that they are tieing me to the Main house, only for my abilities that they hope our childern will have, I hate how they think that they can use you, how they degrade you, how they don't see what sort of woman you really are. I hate that we aren't allowed on missions too, but I too am glad we are able to see my friends. I hate all that, but Hinata-sama, I do not hate you for agreeing with this marriage, I'm thankful that it is me that you are to wed and not some old council member. This means that I can protect you better than I could, and I think that is what your father wants most, and that is why I don't not hate him for this." By the end of this I am standing there just staring at my cousin, his hand holding my wrist loosely now. I knew that he hated the things I did, but I never knew that he would go to that much to protect me, nor my father. I fully face him now and lightly cup his face in my free hand.

"Neji...what about Tenten?" It was something I had to ask, he doesn't move away from my soft touch, but he doesn't look at me in the eye.

"It wouldn't have worked out between us" Was all he said, I give him a sad smile and take my hand away. He lets my wrist go and I walk into the kitchen. I stop at the door and say over my shoulder.

"We can make this work, we have to, for the future of our clan, for the future of ourselves. We have to make it work"

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There!!!! It's done! The first chapter....Not sure what i make of it....but MEH it's all for good times. Lol

Review Pleaseeeeeeeeeee

KH

p.s Hana you know you love me


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